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Kaz'ur
History turn8.png|Turn 8 Borders turn10.png|Turn 10 Borders turn11.png|Turn 11 Borders turn16.png|Turn 16 Borders turn17.png|Turn 17 Borders turn18.png|Turn 18 Borders turn20.png|Turn 20 Borders turn21.png|Turn 21 Borders The Founding The rock folk of Kaz'ur, who in their own tongue are called 'Ashik' inhabit the mountain ranges surrounding the lakes to the west of the Ashelani Dominion. They are a young race, and according to their own stories, were brought into existence by the Great Father (in their tongue, 'Abunami'), who charged them to work the land and to serve him eternally. Kaz'ur is a strange land, bordered on most sides by high mountain ranges with only a few passes into and out of the lake valleys within. But it is what lies beyond these mountains that is truly strange- a desert, a jungle, and a rainforest, side by side, make up the land hidden away from the world by the tall mountain ranges. As it turns out, the "Great Father of the Earth" was no more than a powerful Arch Magus, who made his home along the lakes some 200 years ago. It was he who transformed the land and breathed life into the Ashik, charging them with the task of serving and protecting him. He reigned over his domain for over a century- before disappearing without a trace, his castle simply vanishing from the lakeshore. For the last century, the kingdom so painstakingly crafted by the great Arch Magus has gradually fallen into disrepair, the Ashik left wandering aimlessly, squatting in the ruins of the magus’ kingdom, incapable of action in the absence of the Great Father. For a time, it seemed that both the Ashik and the kingdom of the Arch-Wizard would fade into obscurity, their forgotten corner of the world disappearing from history altogether. Were it not for the actions of a single curious golem, history very well might have gone down this path. While wandering by the lakeshore where the castle of the Arch-Wizard had formerly stood, he, entirely unintentionally, quite literally stumbled upon an underground chamber. Within the chamber, the golem found what appeared to be an intact workshop belonging to the vanished Wizard that had spawned them, containing a myriad of magical items beyond the understanding of the simple golem. One of these artifacts in particular caught the attention of the Ashik. A strange sphere, hovering in the center of the room, filled with a collection of swirling multicolored lights. Upon touching the sphere, it burst into a thousand multicolored lights, and spread throughout the valley, sweeping through every golem at least once. When the wizard created his golems, he gave them a rudimentary intelligence- no greater than that of an animal. But whatever those rays of light did that day changed theAshik. It granted them true intelligence, on the level of any other sentient being. Faced with this drastic changed, the Ashik had to make a decision. The Ashik deliberated for several days, but made no real progress until a golem calling himself Hashim proposed that a council of sorts should be elected, consisting of five members. These included: The Shahadash, who would act as the head of the council, organizing and guiding the Ashik as a general mentor. The Salatim, who would lead the Ashik in worship of the Great Father, and handle the spiritual matters of the people. The Zakatu, who would handle the day to day lives of the people, including the control of resources and so on. The Sawmanji, who would make the protection of Kaz'ur his chief responsibility. The Hajin, who would make the outside world his responsibility, exploring the land, and consorting with any others who might inhabit the world. Taking Hashim as the first Shahadash, the council began its rule of Kaz'ur, declaring that they would build a civilization worthy of their creator, the Great Father Abunami, that would last through the ages. The Awakened Era In the first years after the awakening, the Ashik spent most of their time exploring their valley home, and the council settled into their new governing role. It was not a great logical leap to begin theorising that someone might, someday, want to take their homeland from them. And so the council decreed that the various mountain passes that allow entrance into the valley be fortified and manned, so as to protect their divine charge. As well, the first Ashik expansion into the surrounding mountains, led by the Hajin, met with success. The following decade saw the rise of the first great architectural marvel of the Ashik, and the beginning of the profitable silver mining industry that would later bring a great deal of wealth to the inhabitants of the valley. Commissioning a tower to fulfill a two-fold purpose, the council ordered construction begin within the very center of the valley. For one, the enormous tower would serve as an additional fortification, as well as serving as a glorifying symbol of The Great Father. The tower would later fall victim to several damaging accidents, only to later be reconstructed and glorified beyond even its initial splendor. Reconstructing the Tower of Babel was an issue of grand importance, for in its splendor it represented the faith of its constructors, and it must not be allowed to falter. When the stone-mason came forward with his initial proposal - adorn the tower with the brilliant metal that had just begun being mined- was met with great enthusiasm. This Ashik would later go on to become the famed architect Daif, who also designed the famed outer walls. Secure in the devotion of the Ashik to their powerful creator, the Council turned their attention, once more, to the defense of the realm. A series of succesful expeditions had netter them both wealth and land, but their military currently lacked the strength to defend it if necessary. Famed for his development of the first Ashik fighting style, the Sawmanji presented the eventual solution: the Karan. Enormous goats inhabiting the mountain ranges surrounding Kaz'ur, the goats proved easily domesticated, incredibly hardy, and surprisingly fast. Able to seat three fully armed Ashik and their supplies astride its back, the animals make perfect war mounts. Quickly, the military adopts the practice of taming these mounts, gaining quite a bit of power in the process. Into the Light Encountering their first neighbor on the continent represented something of a rude awakening for the Ashik. While the Ashelani had proved friendly, and their trade was more than welcome, the knowledge that they were not alone in the world prompted a massive review of Kaz'urian security. Returning their gaze to the interior, the Council had the second layer of walls constructed, to protect their new borders. One of the last major improvements to the Tower of Babel is made, adding a great deal more height and width to the center of Ashik government. The following years saw the beginnings of trade with the Rhiam Reich, and a rapid expansion to the coastline, securing access to the open seas for the rock-folk. As well, the Salatim oversaw the construction of the mountaintop temple of Hajir, which would go on to become the most important repository of Ashik religious knowledge, and a holy place of great significance. Culture Religion Notable Figures Military Fortifications Notable figures Magic Notable Figures Current International Status Category:Nations of Celtanus